Pestilence
by Lady Xzephyr of Helven
Summary: "You're basically their relic!" "...they're my people...but they're not my true family..." "Welcome to Rura Ichi, oji." Read and Review please! ON HIATUS.
1. Infection

_**A/N: WHAT IS THIS SORCERY? The Lady has begun yet ANOTHER story?**_

_**Funny, gais, I love you, too.**_

_**This is a collab between me, Angel, and my overly awesome bro (who is actually just a family-friend) Tazalia! **_

_**This Halo story will be randomly updated by me, Angel, or Tazalia. We have no schedule worked out; it isn't really a big project either, just some fun we want as 'siblings'.**_

_**The collab-story features a Noble Six we made up together (my god, that took us FOREVER ~no it didn't, Ephy~)as the protagonist and 'things' and a sickness as our anties. Noble Team and Marines and civvies and people are our poor victims in between, unfortunately.**_

_**No pairings...**_

_**-She's kidding, there are pairings!- **_

_**Oh bugger off, Taza! **_

_**~Kat and Ca-AGH!*shoved off screen*~**_

_** BUGGER OFF, GAIS!**_

_**-Oi, this is a collab-**_

_**~Ditto~**_

_**ANYWAYS, we'll try to make the chapters as long as we can and update when we can.**_

_**-Which won't be often because Ephy can't even update her own stories frequently-**_

_**._. He's right...**_

_**~*sighs* Anyways, read, review, add to your faves, hope you enjoy.~**_

_**-We don't own Halo or any of the characters! Just the sickness and the 'things'!-**_

_**~I hope you realise how weird that sounds.~**_

_**READ. JUST SCROLL DOWN ALREADY,**_** _READER. JUST SO YOU DON'T LOSE YOUR SANITY_**

* * *

**UNSC Frigate _Crier to the_ _Moon_**

"Thanks again for hauling our asses off that godforsaken planet," Carter said as Noble Team, Noble Six and Four excluded, removed their helmets and stepped onto the elevator, which started up towards the bridge.

"Shouldn't be thankin' me, you should be thankin' that hard-ass hunk of metal who gotcha covered the entire time," the pilot, Avery, answered and jabbed a thumb towards Noble Six with a grin. "Tha' man's an entire army by 'imself." Six stayed silent, his eyes fixed on the sword he stole from an Elite General. Unlike the others, which was pure white with splashes of blue and purple, this sword had a tint of gold with red and orange.

A sword meant for a true warrior.

The elevator jerked to a stop and the doors slid open smoothly to the silent bridge. As Noble Team strode onto it, Emile hissed,

"Does anyone live up 'ere?" It was dark and all the light was from the stars and computers that bleeped and whispered reports. A chunk of shadows moved and a man in his fifties, his fair share of battle shown on his face, appeared from the dark and gave the team a nod of acknowledgement.

"Noble Team, it's good to see you're all still alive. Thought the Master Chief would be the only one left...A shame we had to bring you on this ship though, it's been a danger to my men for a while," the captain said bluntly.

"What do you mean 'danger'?" Carter asked, stepping forward to show that he was leader. The captain shook his head as he turned to gaze at the stars.

"Something, some type of sickness has swept through the galaxy, and it's on this ship. Gets to each man and woman sooner or later. See the emptiness on this deck? Most of my techs are sick with this...this _Pestilence_."

"What are the symptoms of this sickness, Captain?" Kat queried, crossing her arms.

"It's starts off as insomnia, you get restless, most of the Marines, the first to get sick, spent their time in the gym. Then it goes to seclusion, I've had men and women stay in their room for _weeks _starving themselves to death. When we finally figured out what was going on, the ones we saved from starvation have started getting aches, hallucinations, and serious coughing. Some even cough up blood; after that, they slip into a coma," the captain sighed, lowering his head. "We've done the best we could, but they're not coming out of it. Not anytime soon. We're routing ourselves to Earth, but it'll take us months to get there. Our Slipspace engine is out and all my engineers are down with the Pestilence."

"Have you tried contacting any nearby UNSC ships?" Carter said.

"The _Pillar of Autumn _was the last to leave, we're alone, and stuck with Covenant nearby." Noble Team shifted uneasily, no way they were going back down to Reach, even if it risked themselves getting infected with the Pestilence.

"How many Marines are left standing, sir?" Jorge piped up after a long sound of silence.

"Around two hundred, soldier, they're all my rookies as well. This ship will go down without a fight if the Covenant attack. Our only hope for survival to Earth is Noble Team and Prince, the ship AI."

"Don't worry, sir, we won't let you down," Jun said and all of Noble Team saluted the captain before he smiled and nodded, walking off.

"Prince, show them to their quarters."

"Very well, Captain," a smooth, Indian voice responded simply as a blue AI showed up on the nearby pedestal. It looked like both a man and a woman, with a chiseled but slender body and a young but old face. It wore a simple feather in its hair, an overcoat, and what appeared to be leather boots over the pants as it hopped off the pedestal. Becoming human-sized, a bit shorter than Emile, it dimmed the ocean glow and strode past them, leading them off the bridge and down a maze of corridors. They passed a noisy mess hall, a rather quiet gym, and a busy med-bay before they were in the ship barracks. Three doors farther down the corridor opened smoothly at the loud snap of Prince's fingers.

"I will let you sort yourselves out. I recommend staying out of the gym for a while and not to get yourselves cooped up in your room," it smiled innocently, its emerald eyes flashing brilliantly. "We don't need to lose important warriors." It turned sharply and disappeared around the corner, the doors closing behind it.

* * *

Noble Six sighed, glad to be out of his beaten armour and threw himself onto the top bunk. Emile threw himself onto his lower bunk in a similar fashion.

"I never thought I'd get out of that hunk of junk ever again," Emile groaned with pleasure as he buried his head underneath a gray pillow.

"Me neither..." Noble Six muttered his agreement, speaking for the first time in over ten hours. The lights automatically turned off in their room after thirty minutes of no movement from the two Spartans.

"Hey, Six..."

"What, Emile?"

"Thanks for savin' our asses on Reach. Wouldn't like to lose any of the family..."

"Just doing what Spartans have to do, Emile," Noble Six murmured and crawled underneath the blanket, closing his eyes slowly. "Protect the family..."

* * *

_A dark forest...A small glimmer of light shined a few metres away from him. He jogged slowly towards it, so slow as if stuck in sand. When he got closer to the light, he realised it was a child, a little girl he saved in New Alexandria. She giggled and grabbed her toy frigate, pretending to fly as she weaved in and out among the trees. Following closely, he watched as she sat behind a bench, giggling as she shot down imaginary Covenant that had 'cornered' her frigate. She looked up at him before...her head disappeared...With horror, Noble Six watched the girl's head roll away from the fallen body as, far away, an Elite cackled with triumph._

* * *

Noble Six sighed and reluctantly stared at the food in front of him before taking a piece of mango and biting into it slowly, chewing thoughtfully as he thought about his dream last night.

'Frightening but in the past, Lumini. Stop thinking about it,' Noble Six thought angrily.

"Did anyone see Kat last night?" Carter asked, shattering the precious glass of silence. The other Nobles shook their head, she hadn't been at breakfast all morning. "Huh, wasn't in her bed last night or in the morning." At that saying, Kat shuffled into the mess hall, her eyes dark as she sat down with the Nobles.

"Good morning, _Sleeping Beauty_," Emile chuckled as he took a sip of coffee.

"Didn't get _any _sleep at night even though I was tired, just wandered the bridge for a while," Kat murmured and rubbed her eyes and Jorge retrieved her a cup of coffee.

"No offense, but you look like a zombie," Jun said as Jorge placed the coffee in front of Noble Two.

"That's exactly the thing every woman wants to hear..." Kat grumbled and took a sip of coffee.

"You should at least try to take a nap today," Jorge suggested.

"But that would disturb my sleep pattern..." she pointed out. "I'll just become a night-owl, and I don't want to."

"At least half-an-hour, Kat," Carter answered. "That's an _order_." Kat opened her mouth to protest but sighed and nodded slightly before finishing her coffee. Getting up, she left the mess hall and to her quarters, intent on getting some rest.

Noble Six had watched the entire conversation in silence, for he had nothing to say, just the occasional sip of Earl Gray. Inside, he was worried as hell.

Kat is probably getting infected with the Pestilence.

And all Noble Team was doing was chatting aimlessly, saying Kat was just suffering from insomnia.

"But isn't that one of the symptoms?" Six wanted to yell and run out of the mess hall in frustration of the team's naivety. Instead, he looked in the direction of Kat's exit with worried ruby eyes as he took a meager sip of tea.

* * *

"Kat, I said a half-hour, not all day! Like you said yourself, it'll disturb your sleep patterns!" Carter exclaimed as he tried to get Kat off the top bunk.

"I don't want to! I just want to sleep! I'm tired!" Kat yelled and curled into a small ball underneath the blankets.

"Kat..." Carter said in his warning tone.

"Carter...please, I just want to be alone...Get out..."

"This is my room, too."

"GET. OUT."

"I was leaving," Carter sighed in defeat as the door slid shut behind him. Standing up straight, he marched to the bridge where Prince stood on his pedestal.

"Where's the captain?" Prince turned towards him, a hurt look in its eyes at it said quietly,

"He's infected." Carter shook his head slowly,

"It happens that fast?"

"Unfortunately, yes, but he isn't in a coma yet. Hopefully not for a while. What's your problem, Commander?"

"It's Kat. I think she's infected."

"So quickly?" Prince shook its head solemnly. "The Pestilence must be getting stronger somehow, then."

"Surely we've dealt with something like this before. A cure somewhere."

"As far as I can search, there is no cure that has been made nor a sickness that has been dealt like this. Some of the doctors on board the _Moon _are already searching for cures." Prince looked over its shoulder and towards the corridor leading to the med-bay. "They better hurry, we may lose some Marines soon..."

"What should I do with Kat?" Carter crossed his arms.

"Wait a few days, see if she improves or gets worse. That way, we'll know if she's actually come down with the Pestilence." Noble One nodded and turned sharply away from the pedestal, marching down towards his and Kat's room. The second-in-command Noble was still wide awake, buried under the blankets but her eyes glowing underneath.

"Kat...if there's anything you need, could you tell me?" Carter asked quietly as he dimmed the lights.

"Yes, sure, Carter..." Kat whispered and turned away from the other Noble.

* * *

Noble Six sat on the top bunk, thinking, staring at the wall across from him.

'We'll all just die,' he thought bitterly as the sound of metal against metal rang throughout the room. Six's left eye twitched, he _hated _it when Emile was sharpening his kukri knife.

"Shut up," Six hissed. The knife stopped.

"I didn't say anything..." Emile protested.

"That _kukri_ is saying _everything_." Emile snorted and continued sharpening the kukri.

"What are you thinkin' 'bout, anyways?" Noble Four finally asked.

"The Pestilence...D'you Kat has it?"

"Meh, I don't know...Time'll tell."

'Hopefully, not too soon...' Noble Six thought with a grunt.

"Carter's got a thing fer her."

"What?"

"Seriously, have ya seen the Commander wheneva he's 'round her?"

"Besides the times that he literally tears the Covenant to bits when she's down, no."

"He should really make a move on 'er..."

"I bet it'll take him at _least _a month or two to actually make a move."

"I'm sayin' never."

"How many credits?"

"Three hundred."

"You're on, Emile."

"May the best Spartan win."

"That's me, by the way."

"Oh shut up and...go back to your little brooding mind of yers." Emile sharpened the kukri the entire night. It was a miracle Six got any sleep and was able to wake up the next day.

* * *

_**A/N: So...? Do you liek?**_

_**-Review please!-**_

_**~We have too many cookies...take some when you leave a review, 'kay-kay?~**_


	2. Thyssia

**_A/N: ~OMIGOD! Updating already? Yes, yes_ **I _**am. What we've actually organized for once is to write one chapter together and then go off and make our own chapters. Hello, I am Angel, Ephy's 'sister', there I said it. I'm the one with these awesome squiggly lines ~~. Tazalia will update next and then Ephy and then we go back and write a chapter together. There, see? If one of us doesn't update, then the story is on hiatus until that person writes a chapter. We most likely will get stuck when it's Ephy's turn (HEY!).~**_

_**~Anyways, here's my chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Tazalia will upload his**_** soon.~**

* * *

It got worse.

* * *

It didn't take long for Kat's condition to worsen at all nor did it take long for the others to get infected.

And it all happened within a course of two weeks.

Kat was the first to go.

Followed by Emile.

Then Jun.

Next was Jorge.

And then Carter.

Slowly...one by one, the Pestilence took the Spartans.

The hope for survival on the ship was slowly fading. It wouldn't take long, now, for Noble Six to join his team members.

* * *

**UNSC Frigate _Crier to the Moon_**

**Med-Bay**

Noble Six strode past the weak, the pained, and the crying towards the back of the med-bay.

"'ey, Six," Emile grinned weakly before breaking into a fit of coughs. "This thing sure is takin' its time gettin' ta you..." Six rolled his eyes before approaching the combat specialist. Each had their own time of slipping into a coma, Emile was the longest to stay awake. The others...out...

"I'm trying to figure out why I haven't been infected yet. If, for some reason, I'm immune, I'm going to use some of my blood as part of the cure," Six answered simply. "Don't need to lose another family yet."

"So cliche, Six."

"But it's the truth, Em." He studied Emile for a few minutes before asking, "Aches?"

"All over, it's almost a total hell..." Emile groaned. "At least we're not Jun." Six nodded his head to the sides a bit in a half-hearted agreement. Jun was constantly sedated because he kept seeing hallucinations, eventually, he didn't wake up.

"You're probably wishing to be in a coma like the others."

"Hell, I am..."

"Well, when I make a cure and get you outta it, tell me what paradise was like, 'kay?"

"Yeah, sure," Emile chuckled lightly as Noble Six turned and walked swiftly out of the med-bay.

* * *

The entire ship had fallen silent; the med-bay was full and Noble Six and Prince were the only ones left.

The Spartan spotted the AI humanized and gazing out at the stars; without turning, it explained,

"We learned what happens while they're in a coma..."

"Tell me, it should help," Six growled as he stood by the AI.

"Some type of acid eats away at their innards and eventually reaches the heart, devouring it, thus killing the victim; I estimate that these acids will reach every single heart of every being on board in approximately three months."

"There was a kind of plant that stopped acids and poisons...People used it long ago but it's only on one planet now...Thyssia, was it?"

"Correct. The plant you speak of is a flower called the San Shirudo. We will pass Thyssia in approximately four hours, shall I have the ship come into orbit?"

"Yes. Stay in orbit until I have a cure made."

"Yes, sir."

"Don't start any of that crap."

"Yes, Lumini." Noble Six grinned and turned away from the stars, slapping the solidified AI on the back as he said,

"Much better, Prince. Tell me when we reach Thyssia."

* * *

_Lumini, we have reached Thyssia. _Prince announced through the ship's speaker system.

"Good, get on the bridge and help me make a damn plan," Lumini said as he grabbed his helmet and left the gym.

_You don't have a plan? _

"Thyssia holds the San Shirudo, we need to find a forest or something that has it," he explained as he walked to the bridge. It was strange to hear the mess hall silent, to have only his metal boots thud dully against the metal ground, and have his and Prince's voice echo around him in the empty hall.

_I have found a city and a nearby forest that has the most _San Shirudo_. Which do you prefer?_

"I'll start with city," Lumini said as he entered the bridge, striding over to the holo-planet that floated in the centre of the bridge. "I didn't know this planet had inhabitants on it."

"That's because they've managed to keep humans off it," Prince answered as it strode through the holo-planet to stand by Lumini.

"What species inhabit Thyssia, then?"

"The...Seibetsu Nashi, a race without genders. From what I've gathered, once every two thousand years, a gendered child is born and that child is to become king or queen of the Seibestu Nashi. Their next ruler, a boy, went missing twenty-one years ago...They're still sending search parties out to find him," Prince explained.

"Mm..." Lumini stared at the location of the city, Rura Ichi, and the forest, Eien no Mori, thoughtfully. "I'll start with the forest, then..."

"Are you sure? I've detected large amounts of Seibetsu Nashi and many wild species out there."

"It'll be better than to go to the city. They probably send smaller squads of Seibetsu Nashi into the forest anyways..." Noble Six faced Prince, "Can you keep track of their squads and any natives from up here?"

"Yeah, I can, I'll stay with you through the comms," Prince answered. "I can also get you there through auto pilot Pelican."

"Go ahead, drop me at the falls, I'll take the airboard."

"We haven't tested that, yet..."

"Well, now's a good time then," Noble Six smirked.

* * *

**_A/N: ~ REVIEW PLEASE~_**

**_~That is all. :)~_**


	3. Oji

**_A/N: -Hi, name's Tazalia, only guy of this collab, sadly. XD Don't make fun of how girly my name sounds because it means 'Death Bringer' and I don't have a really good temper around people who make fun of my name...-_**

**_-Here, enjoy my update-_**

**_-And pray that Ephy can update soon. I know how much people hate_** _**hiatus**_-

* * *

**Eien no Mori, Thyssia **

_What's it like down there? _Prince asked from the ship.

"Dark...can't see ten bloody feet in front of me all that well with the night vision," Lumini grumbled as he sliced his way through the foliage with the Energy Sword.

_Is it better off? _

"Haven't tried..." The Spartan chinned the night vision off quickly. "A bit better, guess I'll stay like this. Where's the nearest San Shirudo? It'd be best to get off this bloody hellhole."

_About fifteen miles east, be careful, I'm picking up some Seibetsu Nashi patrols heading that way as well..._

"You better get off the comms. then, Prince; I don't need them picking up my position through the connection."

_Right, I'm going blank. _Silence was Lumini's companion now as he began taking cautious steps through the forest. Something was blinking on his HUD, blinking, he gave a low chuckle when he realised it was the marker for the San Shirudo.

_14.394 miles due east_

The Spartan scowled, this forest was thick and slowing him down greatly. He considered using the airboard, but there wasn't enough room for maneuvering if the Seibetsu Nashi found him. Grunting, he trudged on. A few moments later, something else blinked onto his HUD frantically.

"Shit!" Lumini hissed as he realised it was a Seibetsu Nashi patrol. Quickly, he took cover behind the biggest, thickest tree nearest to him, quietly peeking to his left as the Seibetsu patrol wandered down a hidden path through the undergrowth.

"Muyi sjetnysjoprasj sjaayi twhxaatw twhxet bdetionygi iosj nyetaarabdyi," one chittered lightly as they walked the path quickly.

"Sipnraetaadi opuvtw aanydi sjetaaracihx fjopra iotw!" The leader yelled.

"Shit..." Lumini hissed but remained against the tree, sighing, and hitting the back of his head against it lightly.

'I can't run back now, they'll find me...' He thought bitterly as he closed his eyes with despair as he heard the Seibetsu spread out in a search for him.

_Lumini, I know you're in a tight situation right now, but that San Shirudo flower is too close to run from. Also, I tried to decipher what they were saying, but it was a bit too hard for an AI like me. _Prince whispered through the comms. as if the Seibetsu would hear it if it talked normally.

"I don't know if it's the helmet's translators but I can hear them just fine," Lumini murmured as he kept an eye on the youngest Seibetsu that was a mere few feet away from him. The Seibetsu had no face, only caved-in holes for eyes, two bumps on the side for ears, and a lump for the mouth; they ranged from different colours and wore no clothes for they had no sensitivities to hide from the world. The only signs of personality were their voices, hair, and whatever else they added to their bodies...and the wings.

The Seibetsu moved away and Lumini took a step towards it, so as it follow it quietly before a cold knife was pressed against his throat.

"Diopny'tw muopvuet..." It hissed lowly as the other Seibetsu turned and made their way to their leader.

"Nyoptw…muopvuionygi…yiopuv ciaany pnuvtw twhxet kqnyiofjet diopwiny nyopwi…" Lumini said slowly. The Seibetsu's eyes widen at Lumini's fluency in their language.

"How human like you know our tongue?" The leader growled, pressing the knife deeper.

"I...don't know..." Lumini answered softly.

"Mask off!" Slowly, Lumini reached up and removed the Gungnir helmet before one of the Seibetsu moved forward and snatched it out of his hands. The Spartan spun around and came face to face with a silver Seibetsu. If it had eyes, it would've widen, for it fell to its knees, apologizing and babbling greatly in its tongue before hissing at the others to do the same.

"Wait, what?" Lumini asked with confusion, putting his hands down.

"Many year passed and we not find you..." The leader of the patrol explained quietly. "I apologize for hostile manner..."

"Could you please speak some sense?" The silver Seibetsu jumped up, once again, babbling in the Seibetsu tongue to its comrades and Lumini. Lumini froze as the words automatically translated in his head.

_"We must tell the city of our oji's return!"_

* * *

**Rura Ichi, Thyssia **

"Hey, hey, wait!" Lumini yelped as the Seibetsu literally dragged him through Eien no Mori. They stopped and looked at him curiously. "I...I don't think we should just go through the city and announce it yet...Maybe...eventually tell them after I get used to all this...? I haven't been...er, home...for twenty-one years...so..." The silver Seibetsu, Shirubaiguru, nodded in agreement.

"Can get you in palace by secret ways around Rura Ichi, come!" The Seibetsu sped east, towards the lights of the magnificent city Rura Ichi, gateway to the Roiyarusuta Palace which was supposedly Lumini's home.

_Lumini, where the hell are you? _Prince hissed through the comms. _I lost contact with you over an hour ago! _

"The Seibetsu Nashi found me and apparently I'm their...oji..." Lumini grumbled. "I honestly have no clue if that's true or not..."

_I guess this makes it easier for us to get the San Shirudo, then. Good job. _

"But what if-"

_Oy, no what ifs! You're pretty much the Seibetsu Nashi's relic!_

"Yes, Mum."

_Shut up. _Lumini chuckled as Shirubaiguru led them through a stone tunnel; Lumini looked around with curiosity, it was carved with pictures of the Seibetsu Nashi's past princes and princesses. The stone tunnel stopped after about a mile and it became marble as Shirubaiguru open a steel door into a master bedroom.

_Lumini's _bedroom.

"Wietlyciopmuet hxopmuet, oji," Shirubaiguru whispered as it and its patrol bowed down towards Lumini while he looked around in awe.

Quietly on the inside, he was hoping that they were wrong about him being oji.

Outside, he smiled.

"Hxopmuet," he murmured and nodded with approval.

* * *

**_A/N: -PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! They're my guilty pleasure! Also they motivate me and my 'sisters' to write more because we know that people like our stories! So please review! It'll also get Ephy to update faster! Thanks! :)-_**


	4. Beginning

**A/N: Daddy moved away because of a new job recently...Apologies for not updating any sooner, it's a bit hard to get over the sudden move. Also, the computer that holds all the lettering and stufflez for the Seibetsu Nashi's language has overheated and takes a day or two to cool down. I want to update right now because a lot of you have been waiting for a LONG time. Until that computer is up and running once more, the Seibetsu's words shall be written with |these| surrounding it; when I use the language |these| will be used to translate names along the way. :)**

**Okay, so, someone asked through PM about all the names. Here are the actual meanings, they have all been named in Japanese.**

**Thyssia - /no meaning whatsoever/**

**Seibetsu Nashi - Without Gender/Sex**

**Oji - Prince/Princess (in this case, Prince)**

**San Shirudo - Acid Shield**

**Eien no Mori - Eternal Forest**

**Rura Ichi - Beautiful City**

**Royarusuta Palace - Majestic/Majesty/Royalty Palace**

**Shiribaguru - Silver**

**Lumini - Short for Luminous**

**More 'weird' words will come. I'll translate along the way. :)**

**Also, the Seibetsu's language is an actual language that took us a while to form. If you figure it out, please, don't tell anyone else, but feel free to use it! Please, do not change the name if you do use it however. If you de-code our little language, which should be easy, PM me if you want to use it so I don't falsely accuse you if I stumble upon your story. It doesn't have to be big, but just give a little mention who created it and direct them to the story if you use it. :)**

**Omigod, second reviewer, I just burst out laughing at the bluntness of your review, I LOVE IT.**

**Here is my share. Please review after you read it. Thanks!**

**Enjoy this LONG awaited chapter~!**

* * *

**Royarusuta Palace, Thyssia **

|Wait...what?| Lumini and Shiribaguru had been standing on a balcony that led from the oji's room, staring down at Rura Ichi. The city glowed brightly and sounds of life floated from below as Lumini gazed at one of the many cities that was his to rule. |I can't use them! It's not possible, I've already tried!|

|That is because you were not yet of age...When our oji's turn onto their seventh age, they stop all process of mortal aging. That is the time we train you to become a warrior,| Shiribaguru replied firmly.

|So...you mean I become...immortal...?| Lumini asked softly, turning his gaze to the high moons of Thyssia. |It means I can't leave with them, then...|

|Them, sire? Who is 'them?| Lumini gave a small smile and shook his head slowly,

|They're nobody. Nothing to worry about.| The Spartan Prince turned towards his caretaker, |This place is truly beautiful, but there are certain things I must take care of first. Personal business.| The Seibetsu Nashi caretaker dipped its head out of respect,

|Of course, sire, what is it that you require?|

|The San Shirudo.| Shiribaguru stared at him as if he were the craziest oji it'd ever seen. Then its mouth twisted into a smirk.

|That is what you desire. It shall be granted when you finish your coming-of-age.|

|Oh for the lords above, I can't get around that, can I?| The young oji groaned.

|Ojis cannot skip their coming-of-age or else they will be looked down upon by their people.|

|Come back home after twenty-one years and already I'm being given some pressure.| Lumini sighed playfully and ran a hand through his orchard purple hair. |Alright, what do I have to do?|

* * *

"SHIIIIIIIIII-!" Lumini faceplanted hard into the concrete ground as Shiribaguru smiled and chuckled, flying down gracefully to the fallen prince, who sat up with a groan and glared in his caretaker's direction. |_That's _how I'm going to learn to _fly_? You toss me off the edge?! You could've just told me what I'd have to do!| He got up, dizzy, and rubbed his temples lightly, muttering,

"I did not just get thrown off a balcony...I did not just get thrown off a balcony...I did not just get thrown off a balcony...My caretaker did _not _throw me over the railings just so I could get my wings out..." (Must be read super, rapid, fire fast) All the while that this happened, Shiribaguru inspected Lumini's wings with great interest.

|Most unusual...but beautiful...| It muttered to itself as it poked, stretched, and tugged at the feathery wings.

|What? What's unusual?| Lumini asked frantically, twisting his head left and right to glance at the thin wings. One wing was an extravagant white, shimmering blue and purple in the moon and red and orange in the artificial light. However, the other wing, the left, was the darkest black and brightest whites you could ever imagine possible; the wing was so glossy it was the perfect act of a mirror.

And Shiribaguru simply pulled a feather from the brighter wing, leaving Lumini to grumble his discomfort and rub the wing furiously.

|A healthy oji...Those beings must have taken good care of you.| Lumini stared at the ground in front of him as he thought of battles, imprisonments, and near-last-stands caused by the foul Covenant.

|Yeah...real well...| He mumbled darkly as Shiribaguru led him towards the palace. Shiribaguru began telling him of what to look forward to for the next few cycles as it led him to his bedroom.

|When do I get the San Shirudo?| Lumini asked impatiently as they stood outside the grand bedroom door.

|After your second week.|

|That's good enough for me...| Shiribaguru bid him good night before going down one of the many branching halls that Lumini could see from just his bedroom. Lumini sat on the bed uneasily, scratching the back of his head in confusion before grumbling,

"Well damn. It's boot camp all over."

* * *

"You made it back," Prince said simply as Lumini came into the med-bay to check in his team and the other infected ones. Although there were probably hundreds around the ship, it was deathly silent.

"Yeah, well, it was a bit hard to climb back out," Lumini grunted. "Shiribaguru wouldn't let me leave until I had gone through the basics of combat for their people and then I had to meet with the Grand Scholar for a bit of _history class_." Lumini sighed, "It's just boot camp all over except...royally."

"You have brought the suit back because you do not need it?"

"Exactly. I'll be down there for about two months before coronation."

"What of the Shirudo?"

"I get it in two weeks..."

"Mm...They are quite generous." Prince walked behind Lumini, gazing at the wings.

"What're you doing?"

"Cataloging your species."

"Well add 'no gender unless royalty' in there."

"You're funny."

"Uh-huh. I should take up a comedian life once all this is done, right?"

"I'll be your right-hand AI."

"Yeah, sure. I'll have a blue man/woman walking around with me."

"That sounds perfect." Lumini just grinned and shook his head before he began walking down to the hanger bay. "Leaving already?"

"Shiribaguru expects me to be right on time for everything, I might as well leave early so I don't have to deal with my own caretaker tugging at my wings."

"Have fun."

"Oh, be quiet and just pilot the Pelican to Royarusuta Palace." He heard Prince chuckle lowly before it disappeared. "Stupid smart AIs..."

* * *

**A/N: Erbahblurgh, I'm tired. I hope you guys are happy that I finally updated something. Read. Love. Review. Now that we have to work with the next chapter together, it'll be updated much faster.**

**Hopefully.**

**For your favours,**

**The Lady.**

**REVIEW~!**


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